Cooking with Corn 101 – Part 1

This post provides an overview of the history of corn, the types of corn that are grown and where to buy non-GMO corn for cooking and growing.

Part 2 covers the culinary uses of corn.

Introduction

The grain of the month in this series on whole grains is corn. 

Corn (or maize) is a considered a true grain as it is part of the grass family.

History of Corn

Corn is said to have originated in what is present day Mexico over 10,000 years ago and its cultivation spread throughout the Americas.

Many colorful and distinct local corn varieties developed that thrived in particular climates.

After Europeans reached the Americas, corn seeds were transported to other parts of the world and today corn is cultivated on every continent except Antartica.

General Uses of Corn

Corn is the number one cultivated cereal crop in the world and it is a staple food crop in many countries.

Only a small portion of the corn produced in the United States is actually used for direct human consumption. 

Most U.S. corn is used for animal feed and ethanol and is considered a commodity crop.

Nutritional Benefits

Corn is rich in fiber, vitamin C, thiamine and folate.

Yellow and purple corn are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin.

Red and blue corn are rich in anthocyanins antioxidants.

Corn contains about 10% protein but it is low in lysine and tryptophan so it is best consumed with beans to form a complete protein – like native Americans did when they planted and consumed the “three sisters”.

In the “three sisters” native American planting method, corn seeds were mounded at the center, climbing bean seeds were spread around so they could be supported by the corn stalk and squash seeds were also planted so that their leaves could spread out and keep the soil moist. ( A fourth sister was also included which was either sunflower or bee balm to attract pollinators. )

Corn is low in niacin unless it is nixtamalized by soaking in an alkaline solution which makes the niacin in corn more bioavailable and can also add calcium (when using calcium hydroxide lime). 

Nixtamalization also reduces toxins sometimes found in corn due to mold.

Allergies

Corn in gluten-free but in some rare cases, people can develop a corn allergy.

There is also concern that GMO corn may cause allergies.

Types of Corn

Corn is typically considered a vegetable when consumed fresh and a grain when consumed dried.

The term field corn is also used when referring to dried corn.

There are 6 generally recognized types of corn grouped according to their outer hull (pericarp) hardness and starch content.

1. Sweet Corn

Sweet corn is most commonly harvested and eaten at its “milk stage” (prior to full maturity).

Sweet corn has a soft wrinkly hull when dried.

Sweet corn accounts for about 1% of total U.S. corn production. 

A small percentage of sweet corn produced is genetically modified.

2. Flint Corn

Flint corn has a hull hard as flint and a medium amount of starch compared to other corn varieties.

Flint corn accounts for a small portion of the corn cultivated in the United States but it is more commonly cultivated in Central and South America as well as Italy where it is used to make polenta.

a. Popcorn

Popcorn is a type of flint corn characterized by its higher inner moisture content (around 15%) which causes it to explode in volume when exposed to high heat. 

Movie theater type popcorn is typically of the snowflake variety which pops bigger while popcorn used for candy applications is usually of the mushroom variety because it is less likely to crumble. (source)

3. Dent Corn

Dent corn gets its name from the fact that a small dent forms in its center when the corn dries. 

Dent corn has a softer hull than flint corn and a higher proportion of starch. 

About 90% of the corn grown in the United States is dent corn and most of it is genetically modified.

4. Flour Corn

Flour corn has a soft hull and has the highest proportion of starch of all the corn types. 

Flour corn varieties are harder to find and most of them are considered heirloom varieties.

5. Waxy Corn

Waxy corn has a sticky texture similar to glutinous rice. (source)

It is grown mostly in China.

6. Pod Corn

Pod corn is a relatively rare type of corn which has leaves around each individual kernel and is typically grown as an ornamental.(source)

An excellent graphic summarizing the major corn types can be found here.

Where to Buy Heirloom and Non-GMO Corn Varieties

Several years ago, I tried out Oaxacan green corn, Hopi  blue corn, Bloody butcher red corn as well as white and yellow dent corn sold on the Barton Spring Mills site.

The various corn colors looked like beautiful jewelry and made me feel like I was just scratching the surface of a very wide and amazing resource and I had to learn more.

There are literally hundreds of varieties of heirloom corn.

While GMO dent corn has the lion’s share of the corn that is seeded and harvested in the United States, there is also a very passionate movement of farmers and corn aficionados who are trying to preserve and/or revive the different heirloom corn varieties because of their wonderful flavor, nutritional profiles and cultural significance.

For example, Masienda is an online company that partners with traditional small Central American farmers and sells heirloom corn kernels and whole grain masa flour for making the most flavorful tortillas and other traditional masa based products.

If you are looking to consume non-GMO corn, this post provides a free PDF download of online whole grain vendors, 35 of which sell different varieties of organic, non-GMO and/or heirloom corn.

In addition, the Amish are known for cultivating a large variety of colorful popcorns, some of which can be found through this link.

If you are looking to grow heirloom corn, there are several seed companies that are worth looking into including Native Seeds, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, True Leaf Market, Mary’s Heirloom Seeds, Rare Seeds, Victory Seed Company.

If you specifically are interested in growing flint corn, then a great resource is Albie Barden of the Maine Grain Alliance who will be leading a workshop on corn at the upcoming 2023 Kneading Conference held in Skowhegan, Maine.

Above are just the few resources I am aware of but I am sure there are many more.

Please do comment below if there are some great heirloom corn varieties and resources you would like to recommend.

Conclusion

While this post has provided a general background on corn and where to source non-GMO varieties, the next post focuses on the myriad ways to cook corn.

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